After
30 years with the National Park Service, Paul Stevens, chief ranger
with the Outer Banks Group, will retire on Feb. 27.

Stevens,
a long-time resident and Outer Banks Group employee, transferred to
Cape Hatteras National Seashore in 1988. He served in other parks
including an internship at Cape Lookout National Seashore, as a park
technician at Moores Creek National Battlefield and Congaree
National Park, before transferring to the Outer Banks Group national
parks to live and work.

As a youth, Stevens spent every
summer with his family vacationing on the Outer Banks. After
graduating from East Carolina University, he began his career with the
North Carolina State Parks system at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area
and Bald Head Island State Natural Area as a park ranger. Paul’s
first permanent assignment with the NPS was at Moores Creek National
Battlefield.

For the past 10 years, Stevens has served
as an active member of the National Type I and II Incident Management
Teams (IMT). He served on these Inter-agency Teams for many
nationally significant events and natural disasters, such as the recent
Rim Fire in Yosemite National Park in 2012 and the Chiwaukum Complex
Fires in Washington state in 2014. In 2009, Paul received NPS
Southeast Region Harry Yount Park Ranger Award, a peer-nominated honor,
named after the first known national park ranger. The award
recognizes excellence in the field of “rangering.”

In addition
to his many contributions to the Service, at home on the Outer Banks,
Stevens served as a vital key liaison with the Dare County Emergency
Management Control Group for 18 years. The Emergency Management
Task Force consists of representatives from multiple agencies and
organizations that respond to hurricane or storm evacuations and
recoveries that affect residents and visitors of the barrier islands
communities and parklands.

“Paul’s remarkable career has
been filled with many accomplishments and accolades. Paul is
known throughout the Park Service and to local Dare County law
enforcement agencies as an outstanding and reputable chief
ranger. The Outer Banks Group has truly benefitted from his
experience and hard work the past 26 years. On behalf of his many
Park Service colleagues, we wish Paul well in his retirement,” stated
Superintendent Dave Hallac.

After retirement, Stevens will
make his home in Nags Head and plans to continue his service on the IMT
for the next several years. Paul said that “All park rangers have
their personal list of favorite parks they wish to serve during their
employment. I am so blessed that the Outer Banks Group was one of
the favorites on my list.”